Transportation pack for spiral springs of throttle bodies and method for the at least partially automated removal of spiral springs from a rod of a transportation pack

ABSTRACT

A transportation pack for spiral springs of throttle bodies, in particular for motor vehicles, having a housing with a bottom and a cover. The spiral springs have an outer end and an inner end, and is intended to protect the spiral springs in a particularly reliable manner against contaminants and in addition to be reusable. For this purpose, at least the bottom and the cover of the housing are manufactured from stable and cleanable material. The spiral springs can be fitted in each case by their inner end in a cut-out of a rod, it being the case that the spiral springs, when fitted, radially surround the rod. In this case, the spiral springs are to be arranged in the housing by way of the rod.

CLAIM FOR PRIORITY

[0001] This application claims priority to German Application No. 10123507.0 which was filed in the German language on May 15, 2001.

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The invention relates to a transportation pack for spiral springs of throttle bodies, and in particular, for motor vehicles, and to a method for the at least partially automated removal of spiral springs from a rod of a transportation pack.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003] Throttle bodies are conventionally used for controlling the quantity of fresh gas of a motor vehicle. Throttle bodies typically comprise a housing having a flow duct and a throttle member arranged in the flow duct. The throttle member assumes a specific position in the flow duct for the passage of a specific quantity of fresh gas. For this purpose, the throttle member can be activated mechanically or electronically.

[0004] In the case of a mechanical activation of the throttle member, the throttle member is conventionally acted upon by the motor vehicle gas pedal, by means of a number of springs. Spiral springs are used in this connection. Also when the throttle member is activated electronically, a spring system comprising spiral springs is conventionally provided for acting upon the throttle member, in order to ensure a well-defined position of the throttle member should the electronics fail.

[0005] After their production, spiral springs of this type have to be transported from the production site to the installation site at which the spiral springs are inserted into the respective throttle bodies. In this connection, the spiral springs are to be transported as cleanly as possible from the production site to the installation site. Also, the spiral springs are to be transported in an ordered manner in order to ensure the installation of a particularly large number of spiral springs into the respective throttle bodies in a particularly short amount of time. At the same time, the transportation pack is to be reusable, for economic reasons.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0006] The invention discloses a transportation pack for spiral springs of throttle bodies, which pack protects the spiral springs reliably from impurities, reliably ensures an ordered transportation of the spiral springs and can also be reused. Furthermore, a method for the at least partially automated removal of spiral springs from a rod of a transportation pack is disclosed.

[0007] In an embodiment of the transportation pack, at least the bottom and the cover of the housing include stable and cleanable material, it being possible for the spiral springs to be fitted in each case by their inner end in a cut-out of a rod, it being the case that the spiral springs, when fitted, radially surround the rod and the spiral springs are to be arranged in the housing by way of the rod.

[0008] In another embodiment of the invention, a transportation pack for spiral springs of throttle bodies, which pack particularly reliably protects the spiral springs from impurities and reliably ensures an ordered transportation of the spiral springs is to be manufactured from particularly stable material in order to reliably avoid damage to and contamination of the spiral springs by the transportation pack being damaged. In order to ensure reuse of the respective transportation pack, the transportation pack also includes cleanable material, since impurities may penetrate into the transportation pack during the fitting and/or removal of the spiral springs into or out of the transportation pack. For reuse, cleaning of the respective transportation pack may therefore be required. In order to enable an ordered fitting and removal of the spiral springs into or out of the respective transportation pack and in order to ensure an ordered transportation of the spiral springs, the spiral springs are to be arranged in an ordered manner in the housing. A rod having a cut-out on which the spiral springs are to be fitted by their respective inner end is appropriate for this purpose. In this case, the spiral springs, when fitted, radially surround the rod.

[0009] In an advantageous manner, in order to secure the spiral springs on the rod, it is to be possible for a first spike to be passed through the main axis of the rod perpendicularly with respect to the main axis of the rod, above the spiral springs, and for a second spike to be passed through the main axis of the rod perpendicularly with respect to the main axis of the rod, below the spiral springs. By means of a spike, the spiral springs are reliably protected in a particularly simple manner from falling off the rod. In this connection, the rod has a number of radial holes at certain distances for spikes, with the result that even if the respective rod is only partially equipped with spiral springs, a securing of the spiral springs on the rod is reliably ensured.

[0010] The material for the housing together with the bottom and the cover preferably has a smooth surface and is predominantly plastic. Plastic can be processed in a particularly simple manner and can be adapted to different shapes. In addition, plastic can be produced in a transparent form, with the result that it can be seen just from an external view of the respective transport pack whether the latter is empty or filled.

[0011] In an advantageous manner, at least the cover of the housing has a receptacle for the rod. A receptacle for the rod either in the cover or in the bottom of the housing has proven sufficient in order to reliably fix the rod in the housing.

[0012] In another embodiment of the invention, in order to equip the rod, the spiral springs are fitted by their inner end in a cut-out of the rod, then the spiral springs are displaced successively on the rod by means of a displacing unit into an access position and a first, at least partially automated gripper gains access to the spiral spring to be removed in each case, in the access position. The ordered displacement of the spiral springs on the rod by means of the displacing unit enables the spiral springs to be successively brought into an access position. In this access position, an at least partially automated gripper can then gain access to the spiral spring to be removed in each case and can place it into the production process for a throttle body. By this means, an at least partially automated installation of the spiral springs into a throttle body, which is conventionally provided for a motor vehicle, is possible.

[0013] In one aspect of the invention, during the equipping of the rod of the transportation pack, the spiral springs are fitted successively by means of a second, at least partially automated gripper into the cut-out of the rod in a fitting position, the displacing unit being moved downward by a fixed distance after each fitting of a spiral spring has taken place. In the at least partially automated method, not only is the partially automated removal of the spiral springs from the rod reliably ensured by the rod of the transportation pack, but also equipping of the rod with spiral springs is possible. This enables production costs to be saved to a considerable extent during the equipping and emptying of the rod of the transportation pack.

[0014] In still another embodiment of the invention, a displacing unit advantageously comprises a retaining device for the rod and a plunger which can be driven by an electric motor, the plunger displaces the spiral springs on the rod, at least partially grasping the rod and being displaceable approximately parallel to the rod. In order to remove the spiral springs from the rod of the transportation pack, the rod together with the spiral springs is to be fixable at a specific location. For this purpose, the displacing unit has a retaining device. If a plunger or similar device presses from below against the spiral springs, the spiral springs, since they are merely fitted in the rod but are not connected rigidly to the latter, can be displaced along the rod into an access position.

[0015] The advantages achieved by the invention enable the transportation pack to reliably ensure a particularly clean transportation of the spiral springs from the production site to the site for installing them in the respective throttle bodies. In this case, the transportation pack can be reused, since it is manufactured from stable and cleanable material. In addition, the rod of the transportation pack of the spiral springs enables an at least partially automated fitting and removal of the spiral springs on or from the rod of the transportation pack.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] Exemplary embodiments will be explained in greater detail with reference to the drawing, in which:

[0017]FIG. 1 shows an exemplary filled transportation pack for spiral springs.

[0018]FIG. 2 shows an exemplary empty transportation pack for spiral springs.

[0019]FIG. 3 shows a first device for securing the spiral springs on the rod of the transportation pack according to FIG. 1.

[0020]FIG. 4 show a second device for securing the spiral springs on the rod of the transportation pack according to FIG. 1.

[0021]FIG. 5 shows the fitting of a spiral spring into the rod of the transportation pack according to FIG. 1.

[0022]FIG. 6 shows a device for removing spiral springs from a rod of a transportation pack according to FIG. 1.

[0023] Parts which correspond to one another are provided with the same reference numbers in all of the figures.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0024] Throttle bodies are conventionally provided for supplying an air-air or fuel-air mixture to a consumer (not illustrated), for example an injection device of a motor vehicle (likewise not illustrated), it being possible for the quantity of fresh gas to be supplied to the consumer to be controlled by means of the throttle body. For this purpose, the throttle housing conventionally has a flow opening in which a throttle member is arranged. The throttle member can be activated mechanically or electronically. Spiral springs are frequently used in order to activate the throttle member.

[0025] Spiral springs of this type have to be transported from their production site to their respective site for installing them into the throttle body. For this purpose, a transportation pack 10 according to FIG. 1 is provided.

[0026] The transportation pack 10 according to FIG. 1 is provided for spiral springs 12 of throttle bodies, in particular of motor vehicles. The transportation pack 10 comprises a housing 14, which comprises a bottom 16 and a cover 18. The bottom 16 and the cover 18 of the housing 14 include stable and cleanable material 20 which is designed, in the preferred embodiment, as plastic. Plastic can be adapted in a particularly simple manner to different shapes and in addition is dimensionally stable, even over particularly long periods of time. In addition, plastic can be cleaned in a particularly simple manner.

[0027] The transportation pack 10 has an approximately rectangular shape. The spiral springs 12 are arranged lengthways in the transportation pack 10. At the narrow sides 22 of the transportation pack 10, the transportation pack 10 has a respective receptacle 26 for a rod 28 on which the spiral springs 12 are arranged.

[0028] In contrast to FIG. 1, FIG. 2 shows a transportation pack which is not filled with spiral springs 12.

[0029] The spiral springs 12 are secured at the lower end 32 of the rod 28 by a first spike 30. FIG. 3 shows this schematically. At the upper end 34 of the rod 28, the spiral springs 12 are secured by a second spike 36, which is shown in FIG. 4. For this purpose, both the first spike 30 and the second spike 36 are passed through the main axis 38 perpendicularly with respect to the main axis 38 of the rod 28. For this, the rod 28 has a number of radial holes 40, one of which is to be seen in each case in FIGS. 3 and 4. The holes are arranged at fixed distances along the rod and therefore enable the spiral springs 12 to be secured on the rod 28 by a first spike 30 and a second spike 36, even if the rod 28 is only partially equipped with spiral springs 12.

[0030]FIG. 5 shows the manner in which the spiral springs 12 are fitted into the rod 28. In the plan view according to FIG. 5, a spiral spring 28 is to be seen. This spiral spring 28 has an outer end 50 and an inner end 52. The inner end 52 of the spiral spring 12 is fitted in a cutout 54 of the rod 28. By the cut-out 54, a number of spiral springs 12 can be arranged in an ordered manner on the rod 28 one above another along the main axis 38 of the rod 28. When fitted, the spiral springs 12 radially surround the rod 28.

[0031]FIG. 6 shows a device 58 for the at least partially automated removal of spiral springs 12 from the rod 28 of the transportation pack 10 and is suitable for the method for the at least partially automated removal of spiral springs 12 from a rod 28 of a transportation pack 10. In order to remove the spiral springs 12 from the rod 28 of the transportation pack 10, the rod 28 of the transportation pack 10 is arranged on a retaining device 62 by a pin 60, which grips from below into the rod 28. A plunger 64 of a displacing unit 66 is then arranged beneath the lowest spiral spring 12 of the spiral springs 12 stacked on the rod 28. The plunger 64 of the displacing unit 66 at least partially grasps the rod 28. The plunger 64 is connected to an electric motor 70 via a linkage 68. The linkage 68 and the electric motor 70 also belong to the displacing unit 66. By the displacing unit 66, the spiral springs 12 can be displaced along the main axis 38 of the rod 28. For this purpose, both the first spike 30 and the second spike 36 have been removed from the rod 28. The displacing unit 66 then displaces the spiral springs 12 successively into an access position 72. In this access position 72, a gripper 76, which is connected to an electric motor 74, gains access to the spiral spring 12 which is situated in each case in the access position 72. The gripper 76 then conveys the spiral spring 12, which is removed from the rod 28, to its installation site. This is, in particular, a throttle body which is conventionally provided for a motor vehicle.

[0032] The gripper 76 can also help arrange the spiral springs 12 on the rod 28. In this case, the gripper places a respective spiral spring 12 onto the rod 28 in such a manner that the spiral spring 12 engages by its inner end 52 in the cut-out 26 of the rod. In this case, the access position 72 corresponds to an insertion position 78.

[0033] The transportation pack 10 for spiral springs 12 includes stable and cleanable material 20 which is designed, in the preferred embodiment, as plastic. This enables the transportation pack 10 to be cleaned in a particularly simple manner and—since it includes stable material—also to be reused. The spiral springs 12 are to be arranged in the transportation pack 10 by a rod 28. Hence, it is not possible for the spiral springs to strike against one another in an unordered manner during the transportation and to thereby suffer defects. In addition, the rod 28 of the transportation pack 10 permits an at least partially automated fitting and removal of the spiral springs 12 onto or from the rod 28. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A transportation pack for spiral springs of throttle bodies, comprising: a housing having a bottom and a cover, the spiral springs having an outer end and an inner end such that at least the bottom and the cover include stable and cleanable material, the spiral springs configured to be fitted by an inner end in a cut-out of a rod, the spiral springs, when fitted, radially surround the rod and the spiral springs are arranged in the housing by way of the rod.
 2. The transportation pack for spiral springs as claimed in claim 1, wherein the rod has a number of radial holes, and, to secure the spiral springs on the rod, a first spike is passed through a main axis of the rod perpendicularly with respect to the main axis of the rod, above the spiral springs, and a second spike is passed through the main axis of the rod perpendicularly with respect to the main axis of the rod, below the spiral springs.
 3. The transportation pack for spiral springs as claimed in claim 1, wherein the material of the housing together with the bottom and the cover has a smooth surface and is predominantly plastic.
 4. The transportation pack for spiral springs as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least the cover of the housing has a receptacle for the rod.
 5. A method for the at least partially automated removal of spiral springs from a rod of a transportation pack, comprising: fitting the spiral springs by an inner end in a cutout of a rod; successively displacing the spiral springs on the rod by a displacing unit into an access position; and accessing, using a first, at least partially automated gripper, the spiral spring to be removed in each case, in the access position.
 6. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the transportation pack and the spiral springs are fitted successively by a second, at least partially automated gripper into the cut-out of the rod in a fitting position, the displacing unit being moved downward by a fixed distance after each fitting of a spiral spring has taken place.
 7. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein a plunger displaces the spiral springs on the rod, at least partially grasps the rod and is displaceable approximately parallel to the rod. 